


Buggin' Out

by lightning027



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 1980s, F/M, Multi, Past Fic, chat noir from the past, ladybug from the past, respects the 'parents were previous miraculous wielders' theory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-05-08 12:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5496509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightning027/pseuds/lightning027
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin Bandura is a Freshman at Westbrook High School. She's got enough to stress about - she plays six sports, she has a grand total of one class with her best friend this year, and her crush doesn't even know she exists. She doesn't have time for anything besides sports and homework, she can't even babysit to save up for some new Nikes. But when strange villains start to attack the school, and her jewelry manages to produce a weird blob-thing called a "kwami", she realizes she has no choice but to add crime fighting to her list of extracurriculars.</p>
<p>(Fic centering around Ladybug and Chat Noir [Black Cat] in America in 1981).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You Down, Robin? (Are You Coming, Robin?)

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to keep this as realistic as possible with respect to the "Marinette and Adrien's parents were Miraculous wielders!" headcanon. Considering Mari and Adrien are 15, and their parents are around 40, and every Miraculous wielder gets it at around 15 years old, then their parents would have been wielders around 1991. So my fic is set in 1981, before their parents would have been wielders! 
> 
> Also this is rated G, but there will be very mild swearing. Since Miraculous Ladybug is a children's show, I thought I should let you know, even though it is really mild (nothing worse than damn or hell).

Five minutes before the bell rings. I can do this.

I barrel into the locker room ahead of all the other girls, who don’t seem to care how late to class they are. I don’t even have time to shower, so I just wipe myself down with some water and paper towels by the sink before applying more deodorant. I don’t keep perfume in my locker – it’s for special occasions and I’m always worried about breaking the glass bottle, I’m notorious for doing things like that, especially when I’m in a hurry. I throw on my sweater and jeans before changing my socks and slipping back into my ratty tennis shoes. I’ve been wanting some new, cool shoes, maybe some Nikes instead of this off brand whatever my mom bought me, but I’m never going to be able to save up money for it, what with school and sports. I have barely any time to babysit, or hang out with my friends for that matter.

Speaking of friends, I snap out of my auto-pilot and throw all my volleyball gear into my locker before grabbing my books and running a brush through my hair as I jog down the hallway. I didn’t have time to blow dry it or use hairspray, but it’s probably poofy enough on its own. I skid around the corner of the hallway, since my shoes have lost almost all of their traction from overuse. I make it to my homeroom right before the bell rings, and slide into my seat behind my best friend, Danielle Allport.

Dani is cool, pretty much a cooler version of me. We're both sporty girls, but she's also popular and pretty. She may not wear much makeup because of sports, but her Italian heritage – long, dark lashes and beautiful voluptuous hair – makes her so pretty that she doesn’t really need it anyway. She's up to date on fashion, though, always wearing cute jewelry and getting new shoes. I wish my parents had as much money as hers did, to get her new shoes whenever she felt like it. But I didn’t resent her for it; it just bugged me since my own shoes were so ratty compared to her sparkly flats.

We had met in middle school, through sports. We were on the same soccer team, and the following spring, the lacrosse team. We made a great pair, always working together to make up new combos just helping each other improve our skills. And soon that spread from the field to in our daily lives - we just became comfortable with each other; close friends and teammates. Of course Dani plays sports that I don’t – really just cheerleading and horseback riding – but I play sports she doesn’t either. This year I have soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, and lacrosse lined up, as well as Kung Fu. It was what defined me. I was the weird sports girl.

I sort of wish I wasn’t. Sports were just something I liked, to me they’re just a hobby like some girls with makeup or others with drawing. But to most people, playing so many different sports, and especially those with overlapping seasons, is completely ridiculous. I get so many comments that I should just chill out, pick one, and take up aerobics to stay in shape. But then people also say that since I’m a girl, I shouldn’t be a jock, or an athlete. That I should stop acting like a little kid, stop playing games, and grow up. If growing up means leaving what I love behind, then I say hell no.

That’s why I liked Dani. She never says things like that. The only times she’s told me to calm down were once where I was seriously overworking myself. Overlapping seasons are really tiring, and Dani knows that. 

Dani notices me, deep in thought, and chuckles at me. I probably look exhausted. I’ve been at school since 6:30, so I’m just about ready to drop dead. 

“Rough practice?”

“Ugh,” I flop onto my desk, my arms cradling my head. “Coach made us practice receives until our thighs burned. I’m just so glad to be in an actual chair.”

“You’re not too tired to go to that super cool craft show after school though, right?” I look up, and Dani’s hopeful eyes are basically tearing into my soul. I know that if I say no she’ll forgive me, but I don’t want to let her down. Plus, I’ve had worse. 

“Nah, I’ll make it. That’s the one good thing about morning practice, more free time in the afternoon,” plus the fact that it was the glorious two weeks in between soccer and basketball season, meaning that I was gonna be one-sporting for a while. The perfect time for socializing.

It is at that moment that our teacher, Mr. Greyson, decides to show up. Every morning he’s late, and every morning he has a different excuse. Not that I mind. He’s giving his spiel and calling roll when I see him. Anthony Cattell. 

I’ve had a crush on him for three years. Yes, I know it’s ridiculous, but it’s not like the crush is noticeable. Maybe it was in sixth grade, but now that I know he’s not interested, I just keep to staring from afar. He’s cute. He’s grown his hair out from the buzzcut he used to have in middle school, to something that was a little more trendy, even if his pin-straight hair didn’t really capture the same effortless style that was so popular in Hollywood right now. He was shy. That was sort of his mark, what defined him. He was smart, sure, but he wasn’t vocal about it, so he wasn’t a nerd. He played sports – mostly soccer and basketball – but he wasn’t on the football team, and he didn’t hang out with the showy athlete boys, so he wasn’t a jock. He was just quiet. Not even shy. It just seemed like he wasn’t fond of people, maybe. Or commitment.  


I had heard through some questionable sources that his family moved around a lot when he was a kid. He was rarely at the same school for more than a year, and usually he only finished a semester before switching. He was smart, and he had taught himself most things, so he never had to be held back, but still. That sort of thing tends to stunt emotional growth. Maybe that’s why I like him. Maybe I want to protect him. 

First and second period fly by quickly. Lunch is next, but I don’t have it with Dani. I hate that, having different lunch periods. But I still have friends to sit with. Debbie, she’s with the sewing club. She isn’t a fashionista per say, more of an eccentric. She likes to make really gaudy sweaters with all sorts of appliques on them, and she’s very bubbly and fun. Carly is more of the fashionista. She likes fashion, but her real passion is playing matchmaker to everyone else. Since all the guys love her, she can take her pick and then set up his friends with her friends. It may sound a bit weird, but it’s actually very sweet the way she pays attention and makes sure both parties have similar interests. Then there’s Heather. She’s a bit of a nerd, I guess. She’s really into Star Trek and comics, superheroes and stuff like that. She’s always working with Debbie to make costumes for her next convention, and I think she’s sort of converting Debbie to nerdy stuff like that. A lot of people might see us as an odd bunch, but we like each other’s’ company.

The rest of the day passed quickly as well. The only class that seemed to drag was math. Geometry was easier for me than Algebra, but it was still difficult, and my least favorite class. To make it worse, it was my only class with Anthony, who was amazing at math, of course. He was a genius, so there was no doubt that he would be good at math. It’s a bit embarrassing to say that I paid more attention to him than I did to the coursework. 

Finally the day’s over. I wouldn’t say I’m the type of person to hate school, but no one really likes school to begin with, right? I would much rather be improving my spike or shaving a few seconds off my mile than learning about eqiu-whatever triangles. 

I would also rather be with Dani, who’s standing by her locker, exchanging the day’s books for ones she would need for tonight’s homework. I’m smiling, just about to tell her how excited I am to go to the craft show (aka glorified flea market…) with her, when I feel a hand on my shoulder the exact same instant Dani’s locker slams shut.

“Bandura, glad I caught you. Sorry about the short notice, but the gym just freed up and we’re gonna have afternoon practice today. It’s only three days until the regionals, you know.” 

It’s Thompson, my volleyball coach. I resist the urge to sigh heavily. Dani gives me a sad little smile as Coach claps my shoulder one last time and walks away. I know that regionals are important, I just wish this had been scheduled sooner so it didn’t seem like I’s blowing off my best friend.

“Sorry,” I say, scratching the back of my head, a nervous reflex. Dani just waves me off.

“It’s alright, it happens. Regionals are in three days, right? I’m not surprised by the extra practice.” 

There’s a smile on her face, but I can tell Dani’s disappointed. We haven’t hung out in at least a week, and since we only have homeroom together, it feels like it’s been a month instead. I smile back at her, it’s soft and I hope it conveys how truly sorry I am.

“Hey, pick up something for me, alright?” I ask, rummaging in my pockets until I find a crumpled five dollar bill and hand it to Dani. I was planning on putting that money in the “get Robin some new shoes” fund, but Dani knowing that I care is more important than shoes. She smiles at me. If it’s one thing she loves, It’s getting people presents. 

“Sure thing! I’ll give it to you tomorrow then? You’re gonna love it, whatever it is!” Dani practically squeals, crumpling the bill even further when her hands clench in excitement. I smile genuinely now – it’s hard not to when your best friend is so happy. 

“I’m sure I will! Bye Dani!” I call as I turn to make my way to the locker rooms.

“Bye Robin!” She calls, heading towards the front doors of the school.


	2. Crunchy, Robin? (Jealous, Robin?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin receives her gift from Dani, and learns of Dani's plans for a date that night. Why didn't she tell Robin? Is it because she's taking Anthony?

Practice was hell, of course. Not because it was too physically demanding; that was reserved for morning practices. No, it was because coach was finally switching into regionals mode, and that meant “tough love” as she liked to call it. I don’t think even the seniors cuss that much on school grounds. By the end of it, I was emotionally exhausted. I opened the door to my house, forever grateful to be home as I throw my bag down as soon as humanly possible, flopping to the floor soon after. 

“Rough day, kid?”

It’s my dad, chuckling at my misfortune. I just groan in response as he steps over me to make his way to the living room, where some action movie is blaring over the surround sound. My mom is at the kitchen table, reading a book with a cat in her lap. It’s Angel, the white one.

Last year, a cat gave birth in our crawl space and died soon after, leaving four kitten stranded under our house. My dad was able to save them, and my mom insisted we care for them until they were old enough to give away. We raised the kittens ourselves, heating bottles in the middle of the night and cuddling tiny cats that had just barely opened their eyes. By the time they were old enough to give away, we had become too attached to part with any of them. So now we have four cats. It’s not that bad, I love cats. They’re affectionate but they also know how to care for themselves, and they’re not big enough to knock you over with overexcitement. Some may think cats are distant or too independent to make for affectionate pets, but to that I say “then you obviously haven’t been caring for yours correctly”. 

Another cat – Boots, who is black with white paws – walks right up to my face, smushed on the carpet in front of the door, and meows at me, turning and waving her tail in my face. Boots always liked me the best, since I was the one that fed her the most often as a kitten. I smile at her as she mews at me.

“You’re so needy, you know that?” 

I haul myself off the ground, groaning when my knee cracks on the way up. I scratch Boots behind the ears before I pick up my things and make my way to my room, cat following close behind.

“How was the craft show?” my mom calls as I waddle down the hallway, sore and aching. I sigh and stop halfway down the hall.

“I didn’t get to go. Coach made us go to afternoon practice last minute.” Mom frowns at me.

“Sorry, Robin. I know you were really looking forward to spending time with Dani.” 

I shrug. “It happens.” 

That’s all I say before I manage to trudge into my room, Boots following on my heels. I pet her as I put all my dirty clothes in the hamper and retrieve the books I need for homework. By the time I’m ready to take a shower, Boots has curled up in a ball on my bed, purring contently. I smile at her. At least Boots will love me no matter what.

The next morning I breeze through practice. My spike is getting better, and even Coach is impressed, considering that I’m our setter, and I’ve never really been that good at spiking. I’m only 5’5”, so no one really expected much of me. But I’m getting better. Coach is even considering setting up a libero set just so I can spike every now and then.  
I’m consumed by thoughts of volleyball when I walk into homeroom. I didn’t bother running today – what’s the point? Our teacher is always late, and it’s early November, so I think I have a large enough sample to tell.

I run a hand through my hair as I sit down, not really paying attention to my surroundings. I was up until midnight last night finishing homework, so I was about ready to drop dead. I let out a loud yawn right as Dani tapped me on the head.

“Hey sleepyhead. How was practice?” she asks, complete with a bright smile. She’s too cheery this early in the day, I don’t know how she does it.

“It was better this morning. Coach went into hardcore mode yesterday though. I would have much rather been at the craft show,” I admit with a sad smile. Dani’s smile widens.

“Well I’ve got the next best thing! It was such a steal and I know you’re gonna love it! It’s so unique and I think it could go well with whatever you’re wearing!” 

Dani rummages in her coach pocket until she pulls out a little black box, wrapped with red ribbon, and sets it on my desk. I’m just about to unwrap it – what could it be, jewelry? A necklace? Earrings? – when Mr. Greyson walks into class, and he looks angry, too. Dani frowns.

“Guess you’ll have to open it later. Call me tonight and tell me if you like it! I’m going on a date so any time after eight is good for me!”

Before I have so much time to ask “A date? With who!?” Our teacher is already calling attendance. I glance at Anthony, unintentionally. Almost like a reflex. What if her date is with him? I’ve never seen Anthony with a girl before, but Dani would be just his type. Smart, pretty, slightly sporty but not too much, and friendly without being overly outgoing. Just the type of person to break him out of his shell. I sighed. Knowing my luck, she probably was going on a date with him.

Lunchtime brought answers. I turned to Carly as soon as I sat down with my burger and fries. She was eating a salad – she usually got her food in Cafeteria 2, which had fancier and healthier options than my own Cafeteria 1. But Caf 1 was also cheaper, so burger and fries it was. I would burn it off later during another afternoon practice anyway. Carly, as well as being our #1 wingwoman, also always knew who was dating who, who was friends with who, and who was stirring up drama. She was just a people person all around.

“Hey, did you hear that Dani’s got a date tonight?” I ask her in between bites of fries. Her bright blue eyes light up and she flips her perfectly permed hair over her shoulder, like she always does when she’s got a big scoop.

“I know! It’s so cute, right?” she smiles as she takes a bite of her apple, but she keeps talking with the fruit in her mouth. “Robbie is such a cutie, right?”

“Robbie? Robbie Johnson or Robbie Smith?” I ask. One was the backup quarterback. The other was captain of the chess club. There was a big difference.

“Johnson, silly! They’ve been eyeing each other all season, it was just a matter of time!” she finally swallowed her bite of apple. So Dani was going on a date with a football player. How cliché. But Robbie was cute – he was showy, yeah, but he was also really sweet. I hear he volunteers after school at the hospital. 

“I wish she had told me. When did he ask her out?” I’m pouting a little as I finish my fries. She could have at least called. She knows I’m at home any time after practice.

“Two days ago. He originally asked her to homecoming, but she said she wanted to get to know him first. So they’re going on a date! Smart, right?” Carly says, while crunching on a crouton. 

“Did she tell you, or did you just find out?” I ask. This is starting to sound like an interrogation, especially since Debbie and Heather are busy talking about this new British show Heather has discovered. 

“Dave told me, of course!” Dave’s her current boyfriend, a running back on the football team, and also one of Robbie’s best friends. Of course. I should have thought of that. “Why, did she say something about him? Give me details, girl!”

I wave her off, rolling my eyes. “No, she just mentioned going on a date tonight, and I didn’t get the chance to ask her to elaborate.”

“Are you jealous of Robbie for stealing your best friend away from you?” Debbie asks. She’s never had a filter and I’m used to invasive or awkward questions like this one. 

“No, I’m just a little upset that she didn’t tell me. I would have told her if I was going on a date.”

“But there’s only one boy good enough for you, right?” 

I whip around to glare at Carly’s who’s winking at me. Of course she knows I still have a crush on Anthony. She can smell attraction a mile away.

“Oooh! Who is it, Robin?” Heather asks. I’m just gearing up to deflect all questions concerning my love life, when I’m saved by the bell. Thank god. I shrug at the girls, who groan, and I sprint off to my next class.


	3. Book it, Robin! (Run, Robin!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An akuma infects a troubled student who transforms into the Liberator, who vows to release students from the confines of corrupt teachers. Can Robin save the day?

When I reach the classroom, the rest of the students file in behind me. Everyone looks half asleep, and I don’t blame them. World History with Mrs. Howard was always uneventful. She spoke in such a monotone voice and threw out dates like they were candy, managing to bore and confuse students at the same time. 

By the time the bell signaling the start of class sounds, Mrs. Howard still isn’t there. I share confused looks with a few other students. Mrs. Howard is known for her punctuality. Was there something wrong? She was sort of old, maybe something had happened?

The first scream confirmed that something is indeed, very wrong. Instead of confused looks, panicked ones are now circulating the room. They turn into screams of our own when the fire alarm sounds, sending students hurdling towards the exit at full speed. I’m almost hit by a flying chair as Jim, who sits behind me, vaults over desks towards the door. I join the stampede just to avoid being injured, and soon the sea of students dumps me out behind the school in the patch of grass that administration likes to call the quad, even though it’s really just where the burnouts like to get high.

Screams erupt once more from the crowd, and I’m confused by it, until I hear the laughter and look above us. There, suspended in the air, is a girl clad in what looks like a superhero uniform. It’s skin-tight and white, with a big fat F in the center of her chest, in what looks like script. She wears glasses and her hair is in tight curls at the base of her neck. Her wings, spread out behind her and flapping, look to be made out of papers.

“I am The Liberator, and I’m here to free you from the binds of horrible teachers! They have the power to give you bad grades simply because they don’t like you, and ruin your life in the blink of an eye without ever caring! And no one believes you when you challenge them!” 

The Liberator’s eyes flashed red, and suddenly all of our teachers rose into the air, shackled and gagged with the same sort of papers that made up her wings. They’re struggling, some attempting to cry out, as they’re lifted further and further into the air.

I can’t take it. What the hell is going on? Aren’t superheroes (or villains, in this case) fictional? All of this is physically impossible! And what if I’m next? What if this girl displaces her anger and starts attacking students after the teachers are done away with? I’ve never seen a superhero before, so how could anyone hope to stop this girl? What if she can’t be stopped?

I run. I about-face and run as fast as my legs can carry me away from the floating girl and the throng of frightened students. I don’t think, my legs just move. There’s nothing I can do except fend for myself, leave, run, flee, escape. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, so I don’t wait around. I’m gone before anyone has a chance to pick themselves off the ground after I bowl them over.

I run all the way home. It’s isn’t a long run, just three miles, and I don’t even think about my breathing as I run. I left my volleyball gear at school. I had left everything at school except my jacket. As this thought enters my head, a loud thunk sounds. I skid to a stop and glance behind me. A small black box with red ribbon. Dani’s present. In my fear-stricken mind, I’m so ashamed that I’ve dropped it. What if it’s broken? I grab it off the ground and cradle it all the way home, like a lifeline. When I open the door, both of my parents are crowded around the TV. My mom looks like she’s about to break down crying. My dad’s fists are clenched tightly, and he’s positively glaring at the TV.

“-at Westbrook High School. Police say that as well as the super-powered aggressor, that a man described as a superhero has appeared on the scene and is battling the assailant. Sources say he’s calling himself-“

“Turn that off,” I almost sob. My parents snap around and rush me, scaring all of our cats. They hug me so tight that I’m lifted right off the ground. It’s teary and emotional, but they’re both just so happy that I’m safe. My mom says something about a quarantine on the school, and asks me how I managed to slip away; my dad is asking about the Liberator and what she was like, what she looked like so he could go right up to that school and fight the person who could have hurt his daughter. I tell them to stop. It’s too much for me.  
They respect my wishes and send me to bed with a little snack and a glass of water, telling me that if I need them they’ll be in the living room. It’s only 2 in the afternoon, but it feels like I’ve been awake for weeks. I’m so scared. I curl up into a ball on top of my comforter and cry, not even bothering to take my shoes off. 

But soon, Boots find me. She always knows when I’m sad. She’s mewing at my door, scratching until I let her in. And I let Goober in too, a brown tabby, because I can use all the comfort I can get. I toe my shoes off and curl up on the bed again, Goober behind my legs and Boots in my arms, purring and nuzzling against my hand. I’m so scared. What if that superhero doesn’t win? What if he’s not a hero, but Liberator’s sidekick? What if they decide that the school isn’t enough, and that they want to rule the world? How can I protect myself, my family, my friends? All the Kung Fu in the world couldn’t help me.

Those were the thoughts I fell asleep to. When I wake up the next morning, I almost forget about it all. I almost don’t remember the fear, the screams, crying with my parents. But once I see that I’m still in my clothes, and not two, but four cats surrounded me, I remember. 

My thoughts are clearer now. I get out of bed and my mom tells me that yes, the Liberator was defeated. We’re all safe. But she’s looking at moving. She’s scared for us now, that if there’s a superhero in town, more villains will come around. I manage to talk her out of it, mentioning her job, dad’s job, all of our friends. Maybe this will be a one-time occurrence. I’m trying to convince myself as much as her. There are so many thoughts swirling around my head that they’re hard to comprehend. So I pick up the phone and dial Dani’s number. I have to make sure she’s OK. I have to hear her voice.

“Hello?”

“Dani! Are you OK?”

“Robin? Yeah, I’m fine! Everyone’s fine thanks to that… ah what’s his face. Did you see him, Robin? He saved everyone!”

“No, I didn’t. I ran home as soon as I saw the-“

“The Liberator?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you know that was Isabella, the Junior? Mr. Crous was giving her bad grades because he thought she was ‘too smart’ and ‘needed to be brought down a peg’! What a nasty old fart! Apparently she was so upset that she developed those powers, but the hero saved her, cured her! And Mr. Crous got fired! It’s so wild!”

I’m dumbfounded. How can Dani sound so calm when talking about this sort of thing? That must have been horrifying, even if it was just a misguided student.

“Did I tell you that he – the hero dude – healed everyone that got hurt, too? Everything’s OK and he promised to protect us if anything like that were to happen again! Robin, you should have seen him. Honestly we’re safe from anything as long as he’s here. Trust me.”

She’s so sure! So positive that this hero can protect us from anything. What’s this guy like, anyway?

“So anyway, my date last night went really well! We had a lot to talk about,” Dani giggles. My eyes almost bug out of my head.

“You still went on your date after all that!?”

“Yeah! Robbie is so sweet, Robin. We really bonded! We’re going on another date on Tuesday! Robin, hey? You there?”

“Yeah, but just… I went home and my parents were scared and yelling and talking about moving and yours just let you go on a date? After school was attacked?”

“Well, yeah. Once they saw that there was a hero to protect us, they decided it was better to just carry on with life rather than fret about it.”

The benefits of having hippie parents. I sigh. I guess it isn’t so bad if we’re being protected. 

“Oh! Did you open my present?” Dani asks. I can practically hear her jumping up and down in excitement.

“No, not yet.” I was too busy having a panic attack.

“Open it! Go, go, go!” 

I laugh, my mood lightened. Dani always managed to do that so easily. I switch phones to the one in my room and grab the box off my desk. I untie the red ribbon and spend an extra second wondering what it could be. It had to be jewelry. I was hoping a bracelet or a necklace, something that wasn’t too small, so I would remember to take off before practice. With one last second of hoping, I lift the lid off the box.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaha, a cliffhanger! I wonder what Robin's present is?


	4. Robin's Buggin' Out! (Robin's Freaking Out!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin finds out her gift is inhabited by a strange creature called a "kwami"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the shortest chapter so far, but it's coming off of a cliffhanger, so I guess that makes it alright? Now that Robin has her Miraculous, the real fun can begin! Did you guess right last time?

 

Inside it sits a large silver ring. It looks like a men’s ring in all honesty. I’ve never been much for rings, but I have to admit, its simplicity speaks to me. She’s right, it’s unique but it still works with everything. I could see myself wearing it.

“It’s a ring!” I say, examining it closely.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s really unique, Dani! I love it,” I say, smiling at the ring.

“Really? You don’t sound too enthusiastic. Man, I knew I should have gotten you that weird birdfeeder instead…”

“No, I’m serious! This is better than any birdfeeder. I’ll wear it every day.” OK, maybe not every day. I’d probably lose it before then, with my luck. But I do like it.

“Great! I’ll see you on Monday, then!”

“See ya!” I reply before hanging up the phone. Boots is rubbing against my legs so I scratch her ears absentmindedly before sitting on my bed, examining the ring.

“Is this thing even my size?” I ask. I peer through the hole skeptically, turning it this way and that. It looks too small for my pointer finger. Maybe the ring finger?

I slide it onto my right ring finger and smile, admiring how the stone catches the light. That is, before the stone starts glowing a startling green. My eyes widen and I’m trying to pull the damn thing off, but it just won’t budge – it’s a little too small to come off that easily. The ray of green light widens and a black puff of smoke erupts from it. I lean back just in time for it to avoid my face, falling back onto the bed.

“Oh man, I’m glad to be out of there. I’m _so_ hungry. I think I could eat an entire _cave_ full of cheese!”

I lean back on my elbows and look towards the voice with an eyebrow raised. What in God’s name is talking in my room? What the hell came out of my ring? What’s wrong with _my life?_

I face a small black thing that’s vaguely cat-shaped, floating – let me emphasize that, _floating_ – at the foot of my bed, rolling around in midair talking about cheese.

“What.” I say. It’s more to myself than anything, but the floating puffball takes notice. It looks at me like it hadn’t seen me before. What a prick.

“Do you have any cheese? Then I’ll tell you what’s going on. But I am _famished_ , let me tell you.”

It’s talking to me. It wants cheese.

 I’m lactose intolerant.

“What are you and what were you doing in my ring?” I ask. I try to sound firm, but I end up just sounding perplexed.

“Ugh. Fine, I guess that’s fair. My name is Plagg and I’m a kwami-“

“A what?” That didn’t even found like a real word. Either of those things.

“A kwami. It’s not easy to explain, but you humans seem to understand when I compare kwami to fairies, so I guess I’m a fairy, whatever that is.”

A fairy? Well, something similar to a fairy. I had read fantasy books as a kid, I guess this little guy seems like a fairy. A really hungry, weird-looking fairy.

“My name is Plagg, and that’s actually my ring. Many humans have owned it before you, but I’ve always been here. So, technically, _my_ ring. Cheese now?”

“I don’t have any cheese.”

“No cheese?! What are you, a barbarian! What kind of stupid human doesn’t have cheese?”

“I’m lactose intolerant,” I say. The little blob is right in front of my face now, yelling at me, its little green eyes boring into my own.

“What does that mean, that you’re a cheese-hater? I refuse to work with someone who won’t provide me cheese! It’s my only term.”

“I don’t hate cheese, I just can’t eat it! My body can’t handle it! But I can go check for you, I guess, just don’t hurt me!” I said, hands up in a position of surrender. I didn’t know what this thing was capable of. Best to just give it what it wants. Maybe find some butter to slide this ring off and throw it in a lake so that some other poor sap has to deal with this “kwami” thing. Of course Dani gave me a possessed ring. Of course.

“I wouldn’t hurt you!” the little thing says, calming down a bit. It settles on my bed, looking up at me.

“I guess my introduction wasn’t the best. I’m not very good at human interaction, never have been. And I’m grumpy without cheese, so I’m sorry. I should probably explain before anything else.”

“I’m a kwami, and that thing on your finger is our Miraculous. It’s an artifact that allows its wearer to gain powers. This Miraculous in particular allows you to gain enhanced speed, strength, agility, flexibility, and vision. In exchange for these powers, a Miraculous wielder – that’s you – is expected to use them to protect humanity. You can choose not to accept the Miraculous, you can just give the ring to someone else if you want. But you need to know that this ring came to you for a reason. That you’re destined to wield it, and if you choose not to, I can’t guarantee that this world will be protected.”


	5. Robin's Amped! (Robin's Excited!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg explains how Black Cat should be. Robin is determined to prove him wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! I hope you all like the chapter!

I look down at the ring on my finger. It’s warm, like it’s a living thing filled with power. Is the hero that saved my school also a Miraculous wielder? Is that what this does, it turns me into a superhero? Does this mean more villains are going to show up?

“So with this, if someone attacks my school again, I could defeat them?” I ask.

“Yes,” Plagg answers simply. “And you’re lucky you weren’t needed yesterday. Ladybug can’t do everything by themselves.”

“Ladybug?” I ask, confused.

“The other Miraculous wielder. Every Ladybug needs their Cat, just like every Cat needs their Ladybug.”

“Cat?”

Plagg looks like he’s smiling. “I’ll show you. Say, ‘claws out!’”

“Claws out?”

Even though it is a question, I immediately feel a change in the air. Plagg is sucked into the ring once more, which now glows green. I look at it and am surprised to see a green paw print plastered on the onyx. But that isn’t the only thing. I almost scream when a green light envelopes me, and black starts to cover me. Stretchy, smooth material covers me from head to toe. Boots appear on my feet, and finally, pieces of fabric in my blonde hair, and a mask covering my face. I shake my head once the transformation is compete, and I race to the mirror.

I look like a black cat. I’m covered head to toe in black leather and latex. My boots look sturdy but also light, and I can feel the traction they provide. There’s a belt flopping around behind me, and I chase it until I finally secure it in my hand. It’s a tail. I scrunch my face together in a look of confusion, which is visible even through the mask. My eyes, damn what happened to them? They’re always a somewhat startling green, but now the whites of my eyes are completely swallowed by green. The bell at my throat jingles as I swallow nervously, and I paw at my leather headpiece, which resembles cat ears.  I managed to catch some of my hair with my hand, and it’s stuck in my _claws_. What the hell.

“What the hell?”

I hear chuckling from the ring and I glare at it.

“Stop it, Plagg. Get me out of this ridiculous thing right now. The only thing that could make it worse is leg warmers!”

As soon as I wish it, my transformation is released, and within seconds I’m my old self again. Not a leather-clad cat superhero. Plagg flies out of the ring.

“The outfit isn’t that bad. And I explained everything, so can I get some cheese now?”

“I guess. I think dad keeps some in the back of the fridge,” I walk into the kitchen with Plagg on my tail. My parents have already left for the day, dad to work and mom to run errands (and probably gather information regarding the attack). I grab the cheese and Plagg goes to down, downing three cheese cubes in one supernaturally large bite.

“So, I transform into that?”

“You’re called Black Cat,” Plagg says in between bites. He seems a bit put off that I don’t like the transformation.

“So I’m Black Cat. And does Black Cat _have_ to wear that? Can I at least get a tank top or some shorts or something to wear over it? I feel so exposed.” I know that the suit covers every inch of my skin that isn’t my face (and it still covers most of that) but it’s so tight that it makes me nervous. Not to mention the weird eyes, the bell, the claws, the _tail_ …

“You’re not exposed at all! The suit is strong enough to stop any human weapon from piercing it – blades, bullets, whatever,” Plagg burps. “You don’t need anything else.”

I sigh. At least it’s safe. If not geeky looking and overly sexy at the same time. Maybe the geekiness will cancel out the sexiness?

“And the bell? The tail? I’m guessing the claws are a weapon, but what if someone grabs me by the tail during a fight? And won’t bad guys be able to hear when I’m coming with that bell?”

“Hey, I’m just the kwami, OK? You can’t change the suit, I can’t change the suit, we’re both out of luck. At least you’re not shoved in a teeny tiny ring for the entire transformation, right?”

I look away. He has a point, it must be horrible trapped inside the ring; I hadn’t even thought about it.

“Sorry.”

The cat looks up from his meal and fixes me with a weird look.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Apologize all the time. It’s not what Black Cat does.” I quirk an eyebrow. Who does this blob think he is, telling me who I am and what I’m supposed to say?!

“Oh really? Well then enlighten me on what a Black Cat does, oh great master,” I snap, complete with fake bow. It’s obvious Plagg catches on to my sarcasm, but he bites back with snark of his own as he downs the entire tray of cheese.

“It’s simple. Black Cat is confident, stealthy, witty, charming, and suave. Ladybug is intelligent, problem-solving, optimistic, a quiet leader, and goal-oriented. Cat is not a person that constantly apologizes for things they didn’t do.”

My eyes widen. Are there certain traits that the Miraculous need to exhibit, or is Plagg just being a jerk?

“And they’re always like that?” I ask. Plagg snorts.

“Of course. It’s why the Miraculous are drawn to them. Ladybug is always someone who has the potential to be a great leader, but is inhibited by something. Black Cat is always someone who hasn’t had a chance to be their true self yet. It’s just how it is. There’s more of course – Ladybugs are usually girls, and Cats are usually boys, but of course there’s exceptions to that. Each one’s different in their own ways, but it’s always a leader and an actor.”

I scrunch my eyebrows together in concentration and frustration. Someone who can’t show their true self? I think I’m myself at school, with my parents, and wherever. I don’t feel like anything is preventing me from being myself.

“Then I can’t be Black Cat. I’m myself. I don’t have to fake anything for anyone.”

“See, some of them said that. Then they went out for the first time,” Plagg laughs, his distended belly jiggling from all the cheese he ate. I frown at him.

“Yeah, sure. What if I’m not supposed to be Cat? My friend got me the ring, after all. What if it was meant for her to be Cat?”

“Impossible. Then the ring wouldn’t have fit you. The ring chooses the Cat,” Plagg waggles a hand at me. I don’t think I like him very much.  “Hey, if you don’t believe me, then let’s go out as Black Cat. Then you’ll see how much you change in the suit. You need to get used to your powers anyway.”

I frown at him again, but I’m also debating the challenge. It’s the perfect chance to show him that I’m not the “actor” that he seems to think I am. Plus, I have to admit I’m intrigued by the powers I’ll gain.

“OK, but we’ve gotta be back by four. It’s the last day before regionals and we missed practice yesterday because of the attack on the school, so I _have_ to be there on time.”

“Fine with me,” Plagg shrugs as much as he can from his food coma on the counter.

“Ace. Claws out!”


	6. What's Your Damage, Kid? (What's Your Problem, Kid?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Black Cat's out getting used to her powers when an akuma attacks and has to see how quick of a learner she actually is.

This time I hold my hand towards Plagg as he’s pulled towards the ring, so it doesn’t take as long. I’m still amazed by the transformation and how short it is. Within seconds I’m leather-clad and suited up. I’m hesitant, but there’s a pull in my gut telling me what to do. I’m not sure whether it’s Plagg helping me out, or instincts, or some sixth superhero sense (Like spidey sense? Would it be kitty sense for me?) but I fling open the back door and jump out, before realizing just how geeky I look. I stand up from my crouch and close the door like a normal person. That was… weird. Cat sense is gonna have to take a chill pill.

I live in a neighborhood in the suburbs, so there’s not much around besides the road and houses. My senses tell me to jump into a tree, and before I can so much as think “that’s a horrible idea, no thanks” I’m in a tree in my backyard. I just jumped into it. How could I jump that high?

If I can jump higher, can I also jump further? I brace myself and jump for a tree in my neighbor’s yard. It’s a direct hit, and I land with only a jingle from the bell around my neck. Increased strength and agility, huh? What else did Plagg say I could do? Didn’t he say something about speed?

Soon I was jumping from tree to tree, soundless except for the dumb bell. If I had a faulty landing, the claws digging into the bark kept me from falling, and the traction in my boots was a nice touch as well. Should have called me Flying Squirrel instead of Black Cat.

It only takes moments for me to maneuver myself out of the neighborhood and onto the road that would take me to school. The trees are further dispersed here, but my supercharged body doesn’t seem to mind, adjusting easily. I’m adjusting mentally as well. It’s so strange to just think of doing something that should be impossible and having my body perform it with such ease.

Now I’m on Main Street. I jump from my tree to the rooftops, sprinting and hoisting myself across buildings without a single protest from my muscles. I smile, gaining confidence, and jump from a rooftop to a lamppost, swinging on it like it’s the bar in gymnastics before launching myself to the next lamp and landing on top of it. I land in a crouching position, laughing to myself as I see the townspeople staring up at me with wide eyes. I wave to a little girl who’s looking on in wonder, and she smiles back, even though her mom seems afraid. Who wouldn’t be, with what happened yesterday?

As soon as the thought passes through my mind, there’s a brilliant flash of red light from the fire department. Everyone turns to look. At first, I think it’s just the firemen gearing up and heading out in the truck, but once I hear the sickening crack, I realize that’s not what’s happening at all.

 “Get out of here!” I yell at the crowd gathered below me. They turn tail as soon as I say something, scrambling away from the firehouse, some of them screaming. I turn to face the building just as the red light dies down and the cracking culminates. A figure rises from the broken roof of the firehouse. It’s small, and seems to be dressed in fireman’s garb, except it’s skintight with a big flame plastered on the front of his chest. He’s just a kid, no more than eight.

“You’re supposed to be heroes, but you’re just bullies! And I hate bullies!” The kid yells, and a ball of flame forms in his hand. He throws it at the firehouse, and the men inside are yelling, sirens blaring. My eyes are wide. I’m scared out of my wits. Flying chick that can control failed tests, that I can handle. But tiny child that can control fire? Not only am I against fighting kids, but this one was throwing fire at people like it was nobody’s business.

Every fiber of my being is telling me to turn tail and run like last time, but there’s something deeper that’s compelling me to stay. And then his eyes locked onto mine.

He can’t fly, but he runs across the roof and jumps, using his fire powers to propel him forward and onto the next house, and he’s running towards me. I hesitate. Do I really need to fight him?

“Black Cat, give me your Miraculous!” He yells, and he throws a fireball at me. I only have an instant to react, so I flip upside-down, hanging off of the lamppost by my legs until I swing myself around and land on my feet, on top of the post, right after the ball whizzes by.

“You don’t have to do this, kid,” I say, hands up in a defensive position. He doesn’t listen and a second fireball flies my way. I dodge it by jumping onto the nearest building.

“Hurting people isn’t going to solve anything!” I yell as he throws a third. I duck and it singes the tips of my cat ears. If only I had a weapon.

I feel something poking into my shoulder blades. I’ve felt the weight there before, but I thought it was just part of the suit. I reach around and pull a silver baton-like thing off my back. Is this a weapon? I press a button in the center and it extends into a staff. That’s more like it.

“I don’t wanna fight you, kid!”

“Then give me your Miraculous!” he shouts back. I scrunch my eyebrows together as he throws another flame, and I easily spin the staff in my hands, fast enough to completely douse out the flame.

“Why?” I’m more confused than anything else. What did Plagg have to do with this little kid’s loss of innocence?

“If I don’t get the Miraculous for Hawkmoth, I’ll lose my powers! So hand it over and I’ll stop shooting at you!”

He’ll stop shooting at me, yes, but what about everyone else? Power like that shouldn’t be in the hands of a volatile kid.

“Not a chance, squirt,” I reply. Then I attack, dodging flames until I sweep the kid off of his feet, and he lands with his back pressed against the roof, my staff aimed at his head. I’m not exactly sure what to do… how do I “cure” him like Ladybug did? Do I have to show him the power of friendship or something?

As I’m trying to figure out how this whole crime fighting thing works, the kid shoots flames at my feet and although the suit protects me, I still feel the heat and I flinch, allowing him enough time to get away. As I jump back, I notice the fire that’s spread from the firehouse and is consuming most of Main Street. All of the small businesses and little townhouses going up in smoke. And it’s this brat’s fault. Who cares about how old he is? He needs to learn a lesson and I’m going to teach it to him. It’s my job.

I start to charge at him, twirling my staff and readying to deflect any flames he throws at me, when something shoots out at me from the corner of my eye. I can’t react, can’t deflect it, and I’m hit right in the ribs. I cry out in pain – I had to have broken at least a few of them – and roll to almost the edge of the roof, crumpled into a ball.


	7. Bite Me, Black Cat! (Go Away, Black Cat!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Black Cat and Ladybug fight together for the first time, and Ladybug isn't too happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite chapter! Aaaa I love writing Ladybug and Black Cat together! I drew some inspiration for Ladybug's character from Felix, the original concept for Chat Noir, so he's a bit of a jerk, but we still love him. I hope you all enjoy!

“What do you think you’re doing, attacking a little kid like that?”

I blink and look up through the water gathering in my eyes. My assailant stands over me, dark hair and a mask covering his eyes. His body is outfitted in a tight red suit with black dots on it. It reminds me of ladybugs. Wait.

“Ladybug?” I ask. He just glares down at me with gold eyes, stepping on my injured ribs. I hiss in pain and claw his leg, and he retracts with his own flinch.

“Of course. Who else protects this city from freaks like you?”

Freak? Excuse me buddy, I didn’t exactly sign up for this. And I sure as hell didn’t expect this spiel from someone who was supposed to be my partner.

“You’ve got it wrong, I’m Black Cat and I-“

“You’re here to terrorize the town, steal my Miraculous, yeah yeah. Listen, I’ve got stuff to do, so if you want to just give up the artifact with the akuma in it, it’ll make both of our lives so much easier.”

If he didn’t have his hands on his hips, I imagine he’d be rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. I roll my eyes at him and resist a sigh. How dense could this guy be?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, buddy, but I’m not the bad guy here!”

“Oh _really_. And who is, that little boy you were planning on pummeling?”

“ ** _Yes!_** ” I cry, pounding my fist on the shingles. Ladybug raises a hand to his face, probably to rub the bridge of his nose like I mentioned earlier, when a fiery ball of rage hits him square in the back.

“Ladybug! Hand over your Miraculous!”

He topples over, straight onto me, hitting me in the ribs and knocking the breath out of me. As we slide off the side of the building, I manage to grab onto the gutter with one hand, and Ladybug’s foot with the other.

“See! Nobody listens to the Cat,” I say, mostly to myself. Ladybug grunts and something flies up from below me, wrapping around the chimney near us, and Ladybug follows soon after, dusting himself off and glaring at me. There’s a smoky mark on the back of his suit, but he seems unharmed for the most part. I haul myself back up, grabbing my baton from the gutter where it rolled and extending it into a staff once more.

“Just stay behind me,” he says, before he breaks into a sprint over the rooftops, trying to locate the now absent Fire Brat. I make an indignant sound but I follow. He’s just as quick and agile as I am, but he’s got some sort of grace or air that I lack. Graceful or not, there’s no way I’m letting him sideline me in my own fight!

“What do you mean ‘ _stay behind me’_? I was doing just fine until you got here and dropkicked me!” I yell at him as we hop onto the tin roof of the auto repair shop. He rolls his eyes and spares me a short glare before his eyes are back on the roof.

“Yeah, sure you were. And the other half of Main Street has always looked like that,” Ladybug jerks his head, motioning behind us, and I catch a glimpse of the burning buildings behind me. My face contorts into a snarl.

“That happened when he transformed, I couldn’t do anything about it.”

“Oh please. You didn’t even know what an akuma is. Listen,” he skids to a stop and faces me. Ladybug is taller than me, but only by a couple of inches, and the “looking down” on me thing doesn’t really work. I glare at him, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised, as he frowns at me. I finally get a good look at him. He’s conventionally attractive. Fluffy, but straight dark brown hair, golden eyes, a lean figure. Like that of a runner or a soccer player. He’d be cute if he wasn’t so insufferable.

“Listen. I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know what your deal is. But I do know that I don’t have time for you fooling around and playing superhero while I’m on the clock, trying to do my job. I get it, being a superhero sounds fun and exciting and whatever, but you really need to leave it to the professionals.”

“Professionals?” I’m laughing now, and I snort in his face. He looks disgusted. “What professionals? You literally just fought your first akuma thing yesterday! That’s like telling your twin you’re the boss because you’re twelve minutes older!”

“It’s not the same thing at all! I’m a Miraculous. You’re not. I can purify an akuma. You can’t. It’s simple. You’re not useful and I don’t need you,” he practically spits at me. He really should smile more. He looks so nasty with his face all frowny like that.

“You’re wrong there, buddy. I’m a Miraculous too,” I hold up my ring to show him, and he squints at it. “And yeah, this may be my first day on the job, but I’m not useless. And whether you like it or not, these akuma things are gonna continue to show up and try to take my Miraculous, as well as yours. Only an idiot would say working together is a bad idea, although I can’t say I’m looking forward to dealing with your attitude, bug boy,” I smirk at my own comment, weight resting on one hip. Ladybug looks like he’s popped a blood vessel.

“Do _not_ call me _bug boy_ ,” is the only thing he says, through clenched teeth. I chuckle at him.

“Well, this has been a nice chat, but unless you want the other half of Main Street unseasonably warm, I suggest you move your spandex covered ass,” I call backwards. I’m already at the edge of the roof, only a couple buildings away from the park, where I can see the Fire Brat terrorizing some civilians. In a flash I’m hopping across the last two, and I hear a series of thunks behind me. Ladybug’s on my tail. He’s a lot louder than me, but at least he’s following.

“Just one time. We’ll work together just once. Then you can just give me your Miraculous and this can go back to normal,” he says as I jump from the last building to a tree, swinging on a branch and propelling myself forward onto the flat, grassy portion of the park. I click my tongue at him.

“No way, man! Then if you go down this guy’s killing two birds with one stone! You’re not getting out of this that easy.”

We make it to the section of the park the Brat has been terrorizing, and the grass is singed, the picnic tables burnt. This kid has to be stopped.

“You said we need to get some sort of artifact and destroy it, right?” Ladybug nods.

“Yeah, it’s where the akuma is trapped. It’s usually something small and personal.”

I scan the boy, who seems to be too focused on chasing after a stray firefighter than focusing on us. Ladybug and I break into a sprint to follow him. I finally am able to spot something on the kid that probably wasn’t transformed when he went all “suit-mode” on us. The firefighter’s hat. It was one of those flimsy plastic ones that kids get after a tour.

“It’s the hat!” I call. Ladybug nods and grunts, and the kid turns away from the frightened man to face us. As soon as he does, the firefighter makes a stealthy retreat.

“Are you here to give me your Miraculous?” the kid asks, and I can tell he’s channeling one of his teachers by the way he says it. I snort and cross my arms.

“Not a chance,” Ladybug says, and then he changes his stance, so his legs are shoulder-width apart, and his chest is puffed out. He takes that weird thing he used to climb onto the roof and throws it into the air.

“Lucky Charm!” He yells, and it explodes in a blast of – what are those, hearts? – and when it lands in his hand it’s no longer a weird yo-yo, but a ladybug-patterned personal fan.

It lands in his hands. We both look confused.

“What,” I say. Ladybug presses a button and it whirrs to life. Another press and a small mist of water squirts out.

“Useful,” he deadpans, throwing it to the ground. “Whatever.”

He turns to the boy, who looks like he’s concentrating way too much for his tiny brain to handle. When he opens his eyes, he looks angry, and he roars, throwing the biggest flame I’ve seen so far at Ladybug. But he’s got a spare yo-yo, and spins it fast enough to put out the flame. And then I see it. The wind is so strong that the hat moves, almost imperceptibly. My eyes dart to the fan.

“Keep it up, Bug!” I yell, scrambling after the fan. He makes a disgruntled noise as he attempts to attack, but the Fire Brat responds with more flames and Ladybug is forced to reformulate his plan. I dodge some charges myself as I run, and then roll over to the fan, grabbing it and running again. But Ladybug isn’t fighting him hard enough. The kid still manages to train his aim on me and fire off some more shots. I’ll never be able to get close enough to use this if Ladybug can’t keep him occupied. I’ll need to get him angry.

“You call that fighting, bug boy? I could do better with my eyes closed! He’s still trying to hit me; you can’t even hold his attention. And he’s _eight!_ ”

Ladybug glares at me for a split second before he winds up with his yo-yo (he even does one of those high kicks like in fast-pitch softball) and roars as he lets it fly at the Brat, who easily deflects it with a fireball.

“I’ve seen middle schoolers with a better pitch!” I yell, because I can’t think of anything else.

“Shut _up_!” Ladybug all but screams, finally giving it his all, attacking the kid as hard and fast as he could. I smirk. The Brat’s distracted.

I extend my baton as far as it’ll go, until it’s the length of a vaulting pole. I fiddle with the fan and switch it to its highest setting. Ladybug has the kid’s arm in a tangle, and he’s going for the hat, but the Brat’s  frantically waving his other arm, sending fire blasts erratically in the direction of Bug’s face.  Now that’s not good.

Then I run away. I see Ladybug’s gaze shift for a second, and his eyes ask “what the hell are you doing?” but before he can open his mouth I’m rounding the turn like it’s first base with the pole over my shoulder and the fan clenched firmly between my teeth.

I run and stab the ground with the pole, hoisting myself into the air. And then I’m flying, but I know it’s not for long. My reflexes are enhanced, and my hands are on the fan’s trigger before I’m even aware of it. Then my aim lines up with his hat, and I press the button, a small, concentrated, and powerful gale blowing from the fan and knocking the hat directly into Ladybug’s path.

“No! My hat!” the kid yells. Ladybug’s grinning, a mean-spirited smirk that’s sort of contagious. I land in a roll, hopping to my feet soon after, right as Ladybug throws the hat to the ground and steps on it, easily breaking it. A black butterfly appears, phasing out of the hat. I gaze at it in wonder.

“Time to cleanse evil,” Ladybug murmurs, swinging his yo-yo. He flings it in the direction of the creature and in a split second the bug transforms into the typical white variety common around here. He looks at me, his now familiar almost-frown stamped across his face. He tosses the fan into the air, and there’s another explosion of hearts, and suddenly the grass isn’t singed, the boy isn’t evil, and the buildings in the distance are repaired. He’s fixed everything.

“Go home, Black Cat,” he says, gaze still locked with mine. I purse my lips together.

“You haven’t seen the last of me,” I reply. “You can’t get rid of a nosy stray that easily.”

“You’re not a stray, you’ve got a bell,” he replies, already attaching the yo-yo to a clip on his hip and walking towards Main Street. I have to head in the opposite direction for volleyball practice. I let him go.


	8. Don't Dis Black Cat! (Don't Reject Black Cat!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug reflects on his meeting with Black Cat.

As soon as Ladybug arrives home, the transformation releases, the earring on his left side turning black once more, and the other appearing as a pin on his jean jacket as his clothing forms. He immediately flops on his bed, burying his face in a pillow and groaning.

“What’s wrong, Anthony?” Tikki asked, flitting around his head so she can see his face.

“Everything,” he mumbles. He moves the pillow so it rests under his chin. His deep brown hair is ruffled and a pout rests on his lips. Tikki lands on his headboard.

“What do you mean? You defeated the akuma, didn’t you?” Tikki says, concerned. Anthony huffs, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, but I could have done it myself. I don’t need that Cat following me everywhere. I work alone. Well, except for you, Tikki.”

The kwami tilts her head to the side in wonder.

“You don’t like Black Cat?”

“I’m sure she’s a nice person, but. Ugh. Tikki, you don’t understand. When you work with people, especially when it’s something that involves so much adrenaline, they make promises they can’t keep, and they make bonds that are beyond just ‘teammates’ or ‘partners’. And I can’t handle that, not with my parents moving around so much. I’ve been ripped away from so many people. I can’t promise this girl anything, but she’s gonna be all ‘oh, I’ll never leave you Ladybug, we’re gonna save the world!’” his voice raises an octave as he waves his arms around.

“I know I sound stupid, but relationships just aren’t viable for me. I move around too much to get attached. I’m only at school sporadically. Honestly I’m amazed mom’s kept coming back to this house for over three years. But it can’t last forever. I can’t get comfortable.”

Anthony pushes his hair back, leaning on an elbow.

“See, you follow the earrings, so I’m always gonna have you. But this Black Cat, she’s got other stuff going on. A life. I’m perfect for this kind of work. I don’t have much family, I don’t have any close friends. I could give up my identity and it wouldn’t really matter. But this girl, she’s probably not like that. I can do this myself; I’ve done it by myself before. I don’t need her following me around like a stray looking for a handout.”

Tikki frowns as Anthony looks at the base of his headboard, picking at some of the splintered wood. She flies down so that he’s forced to look at her, and presses against his nose.

“I know you’re trying to protect her, Anthony, and that’s noble of you. But Black Cat is meant to work with you! She was a great help today! Why don’t you just give her a chance?”

“I work better alone, Tikki. I don’t have to worry about saying something too harsh when I’m alone. I don’t have to worry about appearances, I don’t have to worry about hurting people’s feelings, I don’t have to worry about attachment. I don’t have to worry about protecting anyone but me. And I trust myself. I don’t trust Black Cat, and I never will.”

“But you need her, Anthony! Your transformation was running out at the end of the fight, and if she hadn’t figured out how to use the fan, I would have had to release the transformation to recharge!” Tikki’s getting frustrated, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. Anthony looks away from her.

“I could have finished it quicker if she hadn’t been fooling around so much, distracting me with talking and stuff,” he grumbles. Tikki huffs at him.

“You need to accept Black Cat! And you need to learn to use your Lucky Charms! They aren’t just random things, you know – they’re weapons, just like your yo-yo!”

“I don’t understand why I can’t just have a staff, like Cat! That looks more useful than a yo-yo, or random stuff that pops out when I use Lucky Charm. They don’t make sense! How can a hairbrush or a fan help in the middle of a fight?”

“Just like Black Cat used it to take out the hat! You just need to be observant, like I know you are!” Tikki looks like she’s about to cry. Anthony’s face softens and he pats her with an index finger.

“I know. I’m a pretty crappy superhero aren’t I? I don’t even know how to use my own powers,” he laughs, his smile calming Tikki.

“Hey, it’s ok. No superhero connects with their skills instantly,” Tikki smiles back at him.

“Yeah, I mean look at Spider-Man, it took him a while to get a hang of it,” Anthony cracks a half smile and Tikki returns it nervously. Who’s Spider-Man?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: out of all the Ladybugs she's dealt with so far, Tikki admits that Anthony is definitely the most frustrating one. Also, happy new year!


	9. Are You Mental, Black Cat? (Are You Insane, Black Cat?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When faced with an akuma that's convinced the referees of the varsity volleyball championship are the cause of her loss, Black Cat decides to challenge her to a volleyball match, even though Ladybug thinks it's a horrible idea.

I frown as I pull my sweaty uniform over my head. It’s Sunday, the day of volleyball regionals, and we’d been eliminated. I knew we weren’t going to win – the state champions are in our district, after all. But I had expected to get out in round four or five, not in round three. It was disappointing that we wouldn’t be going to the state championship, but my team was just happy to have gotten this far. The team last year got eliminated in the first round, and we were already doing better than them. There was still the end-of-season tournament.

I was glad for the distraction volleyball provided. It kept me from dwelling on the events of the previous day.

_“I told you so,” Plagg says when we return home after practice, where I can finally gather some cheese for him and we can talk freely. I raise an eyebrow at him._

_“What do you mean?”_

_“About the suit changing you. I was right, so, told ya so,” Plagg says as he shoves cheese in his mouth. I roll my eyes, but I blush in embarrassment too. It was invigorating to be Black Cat. I did feel different in the suit, more powerful, and free to be as reckless as I wanted. I felt like the fact that I played sports was no longer a hobby in the suit – it was a skill. Kung Fu, cross country, gymnastics, lacrosse – they weren’t just games to play for fun anymore. They were important knowledge. Cross country was the way I could run and still avoid obstacles, gymnastics my bar routine in the trees and the lampposts, lacrosse the ease I felt with the staff in my hand, Kung Fu my skill with using it as a weapon, and my unwavering confidence when I had to attack._

_In a way, Plagg’s right. I am more me as Black Cat, but it’s not like I’m hiding myself as Robin Bandura. I just don’t get a chance to use those skills productively in my daily life, and have so much fun while doing it. If I didn’t have to deal with akuma (and Ladybug’s bad attitude) it would be perfect._

_“The suit didn’t change me, Plagg. I’m always like that. You just don’t know me well enough,” I snap back. The kwami snorts._

_“Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that,” he bites a chunk out of a cheese stick. “But I’ll tell you right now, that you’re different in the suit. You feel better in it.”_

_“Well duh,” I scoff. “No one knows who I am in the suit. I can be as crass, as kind, as outrageous, as flirty as I like. And I can’t be punished for it. I could be a complete jerk if I wanted to.”_

_“And that would be who you really are,” Plagg points out. “Isn’t honesty about doing good things even when no one’s looking, or something like that?”_

_“But people are looking, they just don’t know_ who _they’re looking at!”_

_“Isn’t that just the same thing?”_

_“Ugh,” I grumble. There’s no use, he’s too thickheaded._

After I had that conversation with Plagg, I ate dinner and went to bed, but I had a horrible time getting to sleep, thinking of everything that had happened. I had saved the town. Ladybug hadn’t even done much, other than help me. Maybe being a superhero wasn’t so bad, especially if people needed me like that. To be honest, Ladybug looked like he needed all the help he could get.

I throw my uniform in my gym bag and zip it up, ignoring Plagg’s cries of disgust from the side pocket.

“Oh please, you’ve eaten cheese that smelled worse,” I grumble as I slide my water bottle in beside him. He just makes a disgruntled noise.

I wish I could play another game. I feel like after my excursion as Black Cat, that I’m a little more agile on the court. That I can jump a little higher, aim a little better. I wanted to test that out a bit more. It’s a shame.

I make my way home and eat lunch with my dad. My mom is out with a few of her mom-friends, but my dad finished work for the day and decided to fix us peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He’s not the brightest in the kitchen, but he tries. We watch football in the living room on the big TV while we eat, and it’s nice. I take a shower afterwards and change into a Pink Floyd T-shirt and some old sweatpants. I’m just settling down on my recliner for a nice lazy afternoon when the TV starts blaring the “Breaking News!” music and I jump so much that my chair clicks back into its upright position.

“Breaking News! A violent altercation has broken out at Westbrook High School where the girls’ varsity volleyball regionals were today. A masked assailant has seemingly coerced fellow athletes into a frenzied rampage. This girl insists that the referees at the event scored the final game unfairly and she’s holding multiple referees hostage. If you’re in the area, I would advise you to retreat to your homes until the proper authorities have handled the situation.”

My eyes widen. An akuma? I quickly change the channel before my dad gets back from his trip to the bathroom. This sucks. I’m already tired, both in the sense that my body aches, and in the fact that I need sleep. Why did athletes have to be so touchy about winning?

“I’m getting kind of tired, I’m gonna take a nap,” I tell my dad as he reaches the couch and sits down. He seems disappointed that we didn’t get to watch a movie together, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Alright. Make sure to set an alarm,” he says. I nod and retreat up the steps. Plagg’s in my room, going through my things.

“Don’t you have any sense of privacy? Or decency, for that matter,” I glare at him. I don’t have a diary or anything, but it’s still rude to snoop. He stops flipping through a pile of chemistry notes.

“But I’m so bored,” he whines.

“You won’t be for long. We’ve got work to do. Claws out!”

I extend my arm in his direction, and once the transformation starts, I hold both my arms away from my body as the transformation sends surges of energy throughout my body. When I’m finally Black Cat, I smile at my reflection in the mirror before jumping out the window and into the nearest tree.

I make it to the school in record time. It’s easier to fly through the trees now, amazing how much I’ve learned in just one excursion as Black Cat. I drop from a tree, landing on all fours, before sprinting around the main building to the second gym, where the volleyball regionals were held. I swing open the doors and I’m greeted with a pretty weird sight.

All the players that are still in the gym are dressed in black and purple volleyball uniforms, and their eyes are glowing violet. Even some of the spectators look like this, like they’ve been transformed. But I can immediately tell who’s the ringleader by the black mask surrounding her eyes, and the silver medal shining bright around her neck. It’s Valerie Isles, the team captain of the State Champion East Friendship Eagles. Or, former state champions, I should say, considering the news report and medal. I could have guessed that Isles would be mad, considering her attitude in a few of the tapes I’d studied before taking the court today. She was passionate to the point that she had almost no self-control, and losing to another team in the regionals must have crushed her. But that was no reason to become a mind-controlling supervillain.

I see the referees tied to the poles of one of the nets, trying to escape, but bound and gagged with glowing purple volleyball nets. They look at me with desperation in their eyes, but I can’t pay attention to them for long. Valerie has her sights set on me.

“Black Cat! I knew you’d come once I tied up these stupid refs,” Valerie huffs, nodding in their direction. They shrink back in fear.

“I need your Miraculous so that I can gain enough power to take control of the division chairman so that I can have a rematch. There’s no way I’ll have my crown taken away so easily! You can understand that, can’t you? Give me your Miraculous, or I’ll take it from you!”

She lunges in my direction, and my hand flies to my baton. But before I can even press the button to extend it, a figure comes crashing through the window behind us, hitting Valerie square in the back. I jump backwards, and when I finally gain my composure, I see it’s Ladybug crouched in front of me. He stands up, his foot still pressed in the center of Valerie’s back, and dusts imaginary dirt off of his suit. He looks so pretentious, and for a moment, I’m angry that he’s here. I could have handled this myself – if there’s one thing I know, it’s how the brains of athletes work. But I catch myself. I’m acting just like he was yesterday. He may be a bit of a hassle, but he’s supposed to be my partner, and he wants to save Valerie just as much as I do.

“Nice of you to _drop_ by,” I quip, smiling a bit at the pun. He gives me a withering look as he lifts his foot from Valerie, who looks sufficiently stunned.

“You know this is a serious situation, don’t you?” he says, sounding every bit like a chiding mother. I roll my eyes at him.

“Thanks for reminding me, _dad_ ,” I snark at him. He’s about to open his mouth and chew me out when I catch a glimpse of Valerie out of the corner of my eye. She’s on her feet and there’s a black volleyball in the air, and oh god, she’s spiking that right at us.

I don’t think, I just react, and I lunge straight at Ladybug, tackling him to the ground where we roll away right as the ball hits the space where his head would have been, and soon the wood of the gym, which splinters under Valerie’s superpowered spike. We end up with me straddling him, and I’m a bit afraid to move, because this seems like the best way to protect him, according to my adrenaline-fueled brain. He eventually shrugs me off after a second of realization. Soon we’re both on our feet, facing Valerie and her team of angry volleyball players, armed with those black balls.

“I’ll say it one last time, give me your Miraculous!”

Ladybug huffs and pushes me behind him, yo-yo swinging in his left hand. He and Valerie are locked in a staring match, and Bug looks like he’s about to say something, when an idea hits me. A stupid idea. A great idea.

“Hey, I’ll make you a deal,” I start. Ladybug looks at me like I’m crazy, but I’m starting to get used to that. “Why don’t we play a match. Just one set, two on two. If we win, we get your medal-“ it has to be the akumized object “-but if you win, you get both of our Miraculous.”

“Are you out of your mind?!” Ladybug whispers, looking like he’s about to start swinging the yo-yo at me instead of the supervillain. I train him with a steady gaze. I try to pour as much determination into it as possible, and it’s not as hard as I thought it would be. I feel like I do before a game, like as long as my team and I sync, then we can’t lose. And that’s who Ladybug is, I realize. He’s a teammate.

“Do you know how to play volleyball?” I ask instead of answering his question. He’s taken aback, and he looks up instead of at me.

“I played for a season in middle school, but I haven’t touched a ball since then. Cat, this is never going to work. You’ve just signed our Miraculous over to this girl. We don’t know what she’s capable of, we don’t know who she is!”

“Her name is Valerie Isles and she’s the Eagles’ Ace. Her team has won the state championship for two years in a row. She’s a senior, 5’10”. She likes her tosses close to the net. Her strength is her full-force spike off a quick, her weaknesses are receiving and serving,” I rattle off facts like it’s nobody’s business, and only then do I realize just how much footage of the Eagles I’ve watched in preparation for today’s tournament.

Ladybug’s mouth is hanging open, a single eyebrow raised. He shakes his head and runs a hand over his face.

“You know what, I don’t even want to know. But there’s no way we can beat her! She’s got superpowers!”

“And what are we, then? Normal-heros?” I practically snort at him. His face reddens when he realizes his slip-up.  “Listen, I know how to play volleyball, you know how to play volleyball. Can you set?” I ask, making the up and out motion with my hands. He looks at me like I’m stupid.

“I was our starting setter, so yes, I know how to set.” His words are filled with venom. I feel like smacking him.

“Then you handle that, and I’ll do the receiving and spiking.” I was a setter too, but I was also great at receiving, since I used to be a libero in middle school. Plus my spike was getting better, and with Black Cat’s powers, I would be able to jump high enough to spike properly now.

“You know, we wouldn’t be in this mess if you had just given me your Miraculous and gone back to your normal life _like I told you to_ ,” Ladybug chides, and it looks like he’s genuinely angry that I showed up, that I forced him to play volleyball with me – forced him to be my teammate. I sigh. He just doesn’t get it, does he?

“My Miraculous chose me, just like yours chose you. We’re meant to be here. I’m supposed to protect the Miraculous I was given,” I say. He laughs at me.

“You really believe in all that destiny crap?”

“I don’t know for sure. But I _do_ believe that I’m sick and tired of you trying to be the noble lone wolf that doesn’t need any help. Wake up and smell the akuma, bug boy,” I shake my head and walk to the court that Valerie is setting up, complete with civilians decked out in black and purple referee gear, seeing as Valerie obviously wouldn’t trust the actual refs. I don’t look behind me to check that Ladybug is following, but I do eventually hear the heavy thump of his feet on the wood. I smile to myself. He may be a jerk, but at least he’s not an idiot as well.

“We’ll play to eleven,” Valerie says. “We’ll serve first.”

I can feel Ladybug’s eyes on me, begging me to challenge her claim. But I just shrug.

“OK. Good luck,” I smile at her, and Valerie looks like she’s seen a ghost. I snicker as she walks to her side of the court. Next to her stands Cadence Wilson, the Eagles’ setter. She was typically a shy and quiet girl, and now was no exception. Even as she was being controlled completely by Valerie, she was all but silent. But she was a great setter. I need to be on my toes.

“Make sure to block her spikes. She takes her tosses close to the net, so see if you can get there first.” It was the same pep talk that our captain had given my team before we had faced the Eagles earlier that day. Ladybug nods and I tell him to stand closer to the net.

Valerie serves first and it hits the net. She curses and it’s our serve. It’s 1-0. Ladybug serves and it hits the net again. We’re even. Cadence serves then.

It doesn’t have any force behind it, like her serves in the game. It’s mechanical and easy to predict. I don’t even have to move, just bend by knees as it hits my forearms. My receive is perfect, better than it usually is, and the ball arcs directly to Ladybug. He sets up so his body is perpendicular to the net and he watches me run up, calculating his set to match me. The fact that I never told him what kind of toss I like flashes through my mind, and then he tosses me a quick. I’m not expecting it, and I sprint to make up for it. The ball looks like it’s going out of play (god, how hard did he hit that thing?) but I leap and smack it with my left hand; my non-dominant hand. I make it past Cadence’s pathetic block and we get a point. I’m shaking. That was really close.

“Sorry. Don’t know my own strength,” Ladybug mumbles on his side of the court. He looks visibly shaken, like he was the weak link. I can spot the pathetic face of someone who thinks they’re the weakest link a mile away. I frown. He’s a superhero and he still thinks he’s useless?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAaaaaa I've been gone for so long. This was originally two chapters but I combined it into one because I felt bad.


	10. Ace, Ladybug! (Awesome, Ladybug!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Black Cat have to work together in order to beat the akumized volleyball captain at her own game!

I place a hand on his shoulder and spin him around so he’s forced to look at me. He avoids my eyes until I grab his chin and make him. His eyes are wide, like he wasn’t expecting me to notice the fact that he was purposely avoiding eye contact because he’s ashamed of himself.

“Don’t give me that. Don’t you dare act like you’re weak on this court. I can’t do this without you, Bugs,” the nickname slips out, but I keep going. “I literally can’t set with these,” I show him my claws, and I see a hint of a smile in his eyes. “I need you, man. So don’t give me any of that self-conscious crap. Save that for when you’re whoever you are under that mask. Right now you’re a hero and you need to do your job.”

He looks at me, and it’s with such a mix of emotions that I can’t tell whether I said the right thing or not. But he nods at me.

“Let’s get on with it! Less talk and more serve, you’re just delaying your inevitable annihilation!” Valerie yells from the other side of the court. I turn to glare at her, grabbing the volleyball. I bounce it a couple times, looking at the playing field. I should hit it closer to Cadence – she’s out of it since Valerie’s got her under a spell. I nod to myself and walk a good ways away from the court. I’m going for a jump serve, but I’ve got to be careful. I’m a lot stronger than I usually am, so I need to make sure I don’t use too much force. I take a deep breath and run up, tossing the ball into the air and hitting it. I hold my breath, but since my jump is higher, my serve is more linear. I can just spike it right at the ground, which is what I’ve accidentally done. Cadence struggles to receive it, but it’s too fast and bounces off her arms and out of bounds. Valerie growls.

“You idiot! Receive it, we’ve seen worse!”

Cadence, even through her mind-control, seems sad. I feel bad for her as the ball rolls back to me. I bounce it again. The only way to free her is by winning this game.

I serve again, and again. It’s 5-1. I’ve gotten 3 service aces. Ladybug looks stunned as I serve close enough to Valerie that she tries for it, but she can’t receive it. She yells out and now it’s 6-1. I might be able to win it just through serves.

Just as I think that, I hit one towards Cadence and she manages to receive it. It’s not a great receive; it pops up too high and too close to the net. Valerie skips the setting and she runs at the ball like a rocket, and Bug can’t even block her. Her spike goes right through his hands. I spring to my feet and I’m in a rolling receive in the next instant. I hit the ball and it arcs beautifully. God, I wish I could play as Black Cat all the time.

“Bug!” I yell. He’s still stunned from the block, and his eyes go wide once he realizes that I’ve saved us. He’s in position in a millisecond, and then he’s tossing me a quick, even faster than before. But I’m expecting it now, and I jump. I fly through the air and spike it, and when it hits wood, the floorboards splinter.

“Nice set,” I tell him, hand held up for a high-five. He looks at me like he’s seeing me for the first time.

“Y-you too,” he says, and he smacks my hand. It kind of hurts. We’re winning 7-1. Valerie looks angry. Very angry. I’m worried that she won’t let this game go on for much longer. She’s not stable and this game is just furthering her hatred.

I serve a couple more aces. It’s 9-1. I serve once more and it’s softer than normal, and Valerie receives it. It’s a halfway decent one too, and it arcs right towards Cadence. I move into a defensive position and Cadence does her quick. Valerie yells as she hits it, but Bug’s there. He grunts as it hits him, but he blocks it. He really blocks it, and hits the floorboards on Valerie’s side. It’s game point.

“Nice block, Bugs!” I call. I’m smiling. He’s come a long way from where he was, and when he actually offers me a small smile back, I know he’s starting to think of me as a teammate.

I serve. It’s another ace. We win.

I’m staring at Valerie, who looks like she’s about to pop a blood vessel. She seems to be having some sort of internal conflict with herself over there. I glance from Ladybug to Valerie, and he offers me a shrug.

“We won. Are you going to keep your promise?” I ask, walking to the side of the net. Valerie’s concentration breaks and she looks at me with a glint in her eye. She’s not giving up the medal.

“Get me the Miraculous!” she yells, and the people in the stands are swarming us as she runs. I groan and Ladybug shakes his head, already swinging his yo-yo.

“Looks like your little plan didn’t work,” he says. I frown at him.

“Let’s just get this over with,” I respond, grabbing my staff and extending it. The mob attacks. There’s so many of them, and most of them are throwing those black volleyballs at me. I can manage, though. I knock them away easily with a twirl of my staff, and with a few well-placed jabs and smacks, the first row of mind-controlled civilians is down. I look over my shoulder to see that Ladybug’s doing a pretty good job as well. But neither of us can take all of them. Soon we’re back to back, and they’re surrounding us with those black volleyballs, like some demented form of dodgeball.

“Now would be a great time for that Lucky Power of yours or whatever it is,” I say to him. He sighs and rolls his eyes, like he hates having to use it. I shoot him a glare when he’s not looking. At least he has a power!

“Lucky Charm!” he yells, and throws the yo-yo. The hearts explode and down falls a ladybug-patterned crank.

“Oh, what the hell!” Ladybug curses. Our attackers wind up and throw. I grab Ladybug’s shoulders and force him to duck with me. He’s still just staring at that crank, trying to think. His eyes widen as the last volleyball is thrown.

“Distract them, Cat!” he says, and he’s got that smirk on. He’s got a plan. Thank god.

“Of course, _my Lady_ ,” I bow, mostly to duck a volleyball that was aimed at my head, but partially to screw with him. He glowers at me.

“Never call me that again!” he screams as I extend the pole again and vault over most of the assailants. They turn to face me once I start whacking them away one by one with my staff. I’ve trained with the staff during Kung Fu, so it’s easy to wield. There’s twelve down by the time I have all of their attention. They’re like zombies, and it’s easy for them to forget about Ladybug. I can even watch him work as I take them out. I smack two in the face with the staff as he flings his yo-yo info the rafters and it catches. He swings on it and flies right next to the net that we had been playing at, sticking the crank in the hole on the pole. My eyes widen. The next time a volleyball flies at me, instead of ducking, I hit it like a softball, and it slams into the crank, releasing the volleyball net. Ladybug lands on a pole and grabs his side of the net, and I pole vault for the other. Before anyone could blink, we’ve got the soldiers wrapped up snugly in the volleyball net. Only Valerie is left, and she looks scared.

“I don’t like people who break promises,” Ladybug says to her, swinging his yo-yo. His earring beeps, and he looks distressed, but quickly he’s back to the fight.

“Just give it up already.”

Valerie’s eyes dart around. She’s looking for an escape, but she’s also distracted. I’m tired, both physically and mentally, and I just want this to be over so I can get home and take a damn nap. I pounce on her, literally. She screams and I grab the medal and rip it right from her neck and toss it to Ladybug. He raises an eyebrow in surprise, but he throws it down and stomps on it just as well, and purifies the akuma. He throws his yo-yo in the air and more hearts rain down, and the gym is repaired, everyone is in their normal clothes and no longer trapped in a net of death, and we’re done for the day.

I breathe a sigh of relief and smile at Ladybug. He was a real help today.

I extend a hand to him.

“Good job, Bugs,” I say. The nickname seems to have stuck. He laughs and grabs my hand with his own, hooking them at the thumbs as he pulls me in for a pat on the shoulder.

“You too, Cat. I guess you’re not as useless as you seemed.”

I gasp. “Is that a _compliment?_ Did Ladybug just get off his high horse and give me a backhanded _compliment_?”

He rolls his eyes and is about to retort, when his earring beeps again. There’s only one black spot left, and it’s blinking. His eyes widen.

“I have to go before my transformation wears off. Good job and whatever,” he says, then his yo-yo is in the rafters and he’s swinging out the window. I smile as he leaves, before taking my own leave. He’s probably a big softie under all that snark and stoicism.


End file.
